Chapter Twenty-Five: Unrepentant

He walked up to Jiang Ran, greeted her, and sat down opposite her without waiting for her to speak.

Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow as she looked at the scene before her.

She hasn't even said "sit down" yet.

Do you really think so little of me?

Or perhaps, within the Si family's territory, he doesn't consider himself an outsider at all.

"Is the matter resolved?" Jiang Ran asked coldly.

Gu Nan nodded slightly and replied, "The news of Cheng's Group's bankruptcy will dominate the headlines tomorrow."

He acted as if it were nothing, not taking the matter seriously at all.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'd also appreciate it if you could clean up this mess and prevent any unnecessary trouble."

Upon hearing this, Gu Nan raised an eyebrow and looked at Jiang Ran with some surprise.

Is she making plans for those two children?

Are you worried that this incident will affect them while they are still in school?

Has this woman changed her personality after so long?

"Assistant Gu?" Seeing that Gu Nan was only looking at her without answering, Jiang Ran couldn't help but remind her.

"Hmm." Gu Nan suddenly came back to her senses and continued, "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

"But what happened today surprised me greatly."

"Oh?" Jiang Ran tilted her head slightly. "What is it?"

Gu Nan pondered for a moment, then changed to a more tactful way of asking the question.

"As far as I know, you usually... don't like to meddle in other people's business." Even the smallest thing about the children could make her fly into a rage, and she usually makes a complete fool of herself, but today—

Hearing Gu Nan's words, Jiang Ran chuckled.

That's a really direct question.

Isn't the question just about why I helped those two? Why all the buildup?

Then, she smiled slightly and said seriously, "They are none other than my children."

"If I don't take care of my child, who will?"

Hearing Jiang Ran say those words, Gu Nan's heart skipped a beat.

Since Si Yanxiao fell into a coma, he has been handling all matters of the Si Group on his behalf, and he is very familiar with the affairs of the Si family.

Especially Jiang Ran's attitude and behavior towards the two children.

He had reminded her of his duties many times, both openly and subtly, and even overstepped his bounds by interfering in her punishments on several occasions.

But after all, it's a family matter, and no matter how bad Jiang Ran is, she is still their legal guardian.

Therefore, he could only do his best to be nicer to Si Zuochen and Si Youlin behind their backs.

Jiang Ran's previous actions clearly showed that she regarded them as enemies.

But her words now carried a hint of warmth for him.

Thinking of this, Gu Nan looked at Jiang Ran with a rare serious expression.

Thank you.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran scoffed coldly, "No need."

Even though she was the mother of those two brats, he thanked her on their behalf.

From what position did he say thank you?

Noticing Jiang Ran's sudden change in mood, Gu Nan's face also showed a hint of embarrassment.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran raised an eyebrow slightly and teased, "This kind of verbal thanks is too cheap. Why not do something more practical?"

"Actually?" Gu Nan was slightly stunned and didn't react for a moment.

"For example, black cards and gold. There's a saying that goes, 'A large sum of money is worse than empty words of concern.'"

"Assistant Gu, if you really care, don't just focus on spiritual fulfillment, show some material support too."

With each word Jiang Ran spoke, Gu Nan's expression grew darker.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he interrupted directly: "You have Mr. Si's supplementary card, which has no spending limit. You can buy whatever you want!"

Ha... He thought this woman had changed her ways, how ridiculous.

It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.

Still as greedy as ever!

Jiang Ran saw that Gu Nan was suppressing his anger and his face was ugly, and she was about to speak up to ease the atmosphere.

Just then, a cell phone rang abruptly.

Jiang Ran glanced at the contact name, frowned slightly, but still pressed the answer button and spoke in a feigned sweet voice.

"Ziyi?"

Gu Nan immediately recognized the man opposite her as the one who had cheated on Si Yanxiao.

He had investigated the man and found him to be utterly useless, yet Jiang Ran listened to him without question.

After all, this was an internal matter of the Si family. Since Si Yanxiao was unconscious, he couldn't interfere in the affairs of the Si family's wife.

Fortunately, they didn't do anything excessive, and the man was only after money, so he turned a blind eye.

"Okay... I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ran got up to leave.

Gu Nan couldn't help but ask, "Are you going out?"

Jiang Ran nodded: "Is there something you need?"

Gu Nan looked at her indifferent attitude and sneered.

"No, after all, it's your own body, and who can stop you from leaving if you want to?"

Jiang Ran immediately realized that Gu Nan was dissatisfied with her because of his sarcastic tone.

He's too lazy to even maintain a semblance of respect anymore.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Nan got up and walked straight outside.

He stopped at the door, turned to look at Jiang Ran, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Take care of yourself."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Jiang Ran watched his retreating figure, shook her head, and looked slightly helpless.

He turned and left the villa, heading towards the location Lu Ziyi had indicated.

As if to maintain his image as a considerate person, he deliberately chose to meet at a coffee shop outside the villa.

When Jiang Ran arrived at the agreed location, she saw Lu Ziyi standing at the door waiting for her from afar, with an eyesore of a "green tea" woman beside him.

She watched from afar, thinking, "The 'phoenix man' and the 'green tea bitch' are a perfect match!"

Lu Ziyi glanced at Jiang Ran and saw her standing under the tree, not moving for a long time. He quickly waved to her.

Jiang Ran put aside her thoughts and slowly walked towards them.

"Ziyi." Jiang Ran put on a shy expression, as if she had met her sweetheart.

He then looked at Song Yuqing, and his expression instantly turned ugly.

His tone was displeased as he questioned, "What's she doing here?"

His agitation was not concealed at all.

Song Yuqing's expression changed, and Lu Ziyi quickly said from the side, "It's my fault. I called her here without your permission."

"I was just thinking that you two are best friends, and I happened to hear that you two had a falling out recently, so I specially arranged this gathering to help you mend your relationship."

"Let's clear up some misunderstandings."

Hearing his words, Jiang Ran scoffed coldly: "Heh, we have no misunderstanding."

Seeing that she was unwilling to back down, Lu Ziyi tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright, let's go inside and talk about it first, okay?"

Seeing that Jiang Ran didn't move and her expression was still somewhat displeased, he continued, "Ranran, please give me some face, okay?"

His tone was sincere and open to discussion, so no one would refuse him.

"Alright then, I'm only doing this for your sake." Jiang Ran said with a hint of coquetry.

"Okay." Lu Ziyi smiled.

Song Yuqing listened from the side, her hands clenched into fists. She had become a mere supporting character, a laughingstock.

Jiang Ran coldly observed her performance, a sneer in her heart.

After entering the coffee shop, the group went straight into a private room.

As soon as he sat down, Lu Ziyi took on the role of peacemaker.